Illuminated cake stand display

• US 7,287,870 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joanne J. Knoch
• Original Assignee: Joanne J. Knoch
• Inventors: Knoch, Joanne J.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANSKAR, KRISTEN
• Application Number:
  US11/352,751
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 362/97.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/00 Table service
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

An illuminated display system or assembly. In particular, the illuminated system is designed to display various food items such as wedding cakes, hors d'"'"'oeuvres, buffets, pies, and the like. The assembly includes a plurality of plates and sheets adapted to be engaged to form enclosures for lighting. Lighting is secured to the sheets within the enclosures. The assembly further includes one or more pillars each adapted to engage the plates and to house additional lighting. The invention also includes methods of assembling the display system and methods of displaying and illuminating the various food items.

Claims

1. An illuminated cake display apparatus comprising:

first and second rigid plates,

at least one hollow pillar, the first and second plates being adapted to engage the at least one hollow pillar with openings in the plates in communication with the interior of said at least one hollow pillar,

a third plate adapted to engage the first plate to define a first enclosure of limited height,

a fourth plate adapted to engage the second plate to define a second enclosure of limited height,

the plates and the at least one hollow pillar being formed of light transmitting plastic material,

a first light transmitting plastic sheet including a plurality of fasteners,

the first sheet adapted to reside within the first enclosure,

a second light transmitting plastic sheet adapted to reside within the second enclosure,

the first and second sheets having openings in communication with the at least one hollow pillar and the communicating plate openings, and

a continuous string of a plurality of electric lights,

a first portion of the lights affixed to the second sheet, and,

a second portion of lights comprising one or more loops, each loop comprising a proximal portion suspended in the hollow pillar and a distal portion of lights adapted to be fastened in the plurality of fasteners of the first sheet,

wherein each hollow pillar and the communicating plate and sheet openings define a pathway for the continuous string of lights between the first and second enclosures, and

the first and second sheets being of limited thickness sufficient to secure the affixed fasteners and lights on the sheets in pre-selected positions when the sheets are respectively positioned within the first and second enclosures of the cake display assembly without said thickness occupying a significant portion of the height of the enclosures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least 3 hollow pillars, wherein the second portion of lights includes at least 3 loops of lights.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fasteners comprise a plurality of resilient clips, the clips affixed to the first sheet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third plate includes 3 or more first tapered members, wherein the first sheet defines 3 or more first holes, wherein the first plate includes 3 or more first receptacles, and wherein the first tapered members are adapted to engage the first holes and first receptacles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fourth plate includes 3 or more second tapered members, wherein the second sheet defines 3 or more second holes, wherein the second plate includes 3 or more second receptacles, and wherein the second tapered members are adapted to engage the second holes and second receptacles.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pillars are fixedly engaged to the first and second plates by adhesive.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are fixedly engaged to the first sheet by adhesive.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of lights are affixed to the second sheet by a hot melt adhesive.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein any one of or any combination of the first, second, third and fourth plates;

the first and second sheets;

the pillars; and

the resilient clips are constructed from a member selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic, polystyrene and polycarbonate.

14. A method of assembling the apparatus of claim 1 to display a food item comprising the steps of:

providing the first and second plates affixed to at least one hollow pillar,

threading each loop of lights through a corresponding pillar,

fastening the distal portion of the lights to the first sheet,

engaging the third plate, first sheet and first plate, and,

engaging the fourth plate, second sheet and second plate.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

contacting the food item with the first plate, and,

illuminating the continuous string of a plurality of electric lights.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the food item is a member selected from the group consisting of cake, hors d'"'"'oeuvres and pie.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pillars are frictionally and mechanically engaged with the first and second plates.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second sheet each have a thickness of approximately 0.030 inch.

10. An apparatus for illuminating a cake display assembly having a plurality of cake supporting light-transmitting rigid plastic plates which define spaced first and second enclosures of limited height between adjacent parallel plates, the apparatus comprising:

a first light-transmitting plastic sheet adapted to be positioned in the first enclosure,

a second light-transmitting plastic sheet adapted to be positioned in the second enclosure,

a plurality of fasteners affixed to the second sheet, and,

a string of a plurality of lights,

wherein a first portion of the plurality of lights are affixed to the first sheet,

wherein a second portion of the plurality of lights comprises one or more loops each having a proximal portion adapted to be suspended between the first and second sheets and a distal portion adapted to be engaged in the fasteners affixed to the second sheet to thereby illuminate the first and second enclosures, and

the first and second sheets being of limited thickness sufficient to secure the affixed fasteners and lights on the sheets in pre-selected positions when the sheets are respectively positioned within the first and second enclosures of the cake display assembly without said thickness occupying a significant portion of the height of the enclosures.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fasteners are resilient clips.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the plurality of lights are affixed to the first sheet by hot melt adhesive.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second sheets and resilient clips are constructed from a polyacrylic.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a hot melt adhesive affixes the first portion of the plurality of lights the first sheet.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of fasteners are resilient clips constructed from a polyacrylic.

21. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first and second sheet each have a thickness of approximately 0.030 inch.